A stop in the southernmost province of Verona? Every year there is a re-enactment of the Battle of Castagnaro. This is the ninth edition of the event. The one that has just finished was a great success. Over 250 people took part, including people from England, France and Croatia. The three-day event was organised by the “Battaglia di Castagnaro” Association, under the patronage of the Region and the Province, in collaboration with the Municipality, Pro Loco, the l’Istituto Comprensivo Ederle, the gruppo Eventi, the Carabinieri Volunteer Unit and the “Lance del Liocorno” and “Lancia Spezzata” associations.
As always, the focus was on the battle fought on 11 March 1387 between the Carraresi army from Padua and the Scaligeri army from Verona. The battle ended with the defeat of the latter and the end of their dominion. The re-enactment allowed the participants and the public to relive the events that took place centuries ago. The costumes, weapons and fighting techniques of the time were reconstructed in great detail. This is an important educational value that allows the knowledge of history to be passed on to young people.
Castagnaro is located about 50 kilometres from Verona and has a population of about 3,000. In addition to the historical re-enactments, the Municipality of Castagnaro offers visitors the opportunity to visit the parish church, which houses important works of art, the small church of Santa Anna in Menà (the only small geographical area “frazione”) and the “Sette Capitei”, seven votive capitals built in as many different places in the town. Castagnaro is located in the extreme south of the province (as shown on the map below). It borders the province of Rovigo.
The name of the town derives from the presence of many chestnut trees, which have now disappeared. A few specimens have recently been replanted in the garden of the school as a reminder of the past.
The town of Castagnaro is crossed by the Verona-Rovigo railway line (Castagnaro station) and is twinned with the Bavarian town of Fischbachau.
